Our Team

Maame Kwaaba Stephens

(Founder)

She is a Director with the Kaysens Group of companies and efficiently managed the company’s Telecom business the last 10 years. Prior to that, she worked as an Associate at Genera.l Electric’s Professional Management Development Program (PMDP) and Assistant Brand Manager with Procter & Gamble

Philip Dzikou

(Operational Support)

Mr. Philip Dzikou, had a distinguished teaching career consequent upon which he spent a substantial amount of his time – over 20 years – abroad in Liberia, Libya and Las Palmas, engaged in operational tasks. Philip plays an operational role in the team and has been instrumental in seeing to many of the

Eric Hatungimana

( Project Assistant Intern - 2023 ) Burundi

Eric Hatungimana, originally from Burundi, East Africa and a MasterCard Scholar at Ashesi University is pursuing Computer Science and Information Systems. His deep passion lies in coding and graphic design with his ultimate ambition to become an exceptional Software Developer and a skilled UI/UX Designer.

Judith Yaa Baby Appiah

( Project Assistant Intern - 2023 ) Ghana

Judith Yaa Baby Appiah, is a MasterCard Scholar and Business Administration major at Ashesi University. With a fiery passion for Real Estate and Entrepreneurship, she is determined to revolutionize these industries through the power of technology and automation. She believes true success lies in creating

Enoch Blay

( Project Assistant Intern - 2023 ) Ghana

Enoch Blay, is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar studying Business Administration at Ashesi University. He is motivated by his desire to create positive change and aspires to become a Social Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer. His ultimate goal is to develop impactful applications that address pressing

Steve Nsabima

( Project Assistant Intern - 2023 ) Burundi

Steve Nsabima, a first year MasterCard Scholar at Ashesi University, is majoring in Computer Science and specializing in Software Development. Born and raised in Burundi, his upbringing instilled in him a strong sense of community and resilience, inspiring him to leverage his education and skills to uplift marginalized communities

Tinotenda Rodney Alfaneti

( Project Assistant Intern - 2022 ) Zimbabwe

Tinotenda Rodney Alfaneti is a second-year student at Ashesi University pursuing a degree in Computer Science. He is passionate about solving the persisting problems in Africa like food insecurity, poverty etc. using modern technologies. Rodney once worked as a backend developer with CharmingBrains startup in developing a school website

Julia Clark

( Project Assistant Intern - 2022 ) USA

Julia Clark is a third year at Oberlin College, originally from San Francisco, California. She has a major in Politics, a minor in History, and a concentration in International Affairs. She posesses strong writing, researching, and editing skills, and she is passionate about international development, global policy, and social justice. She someday hopes to

Garrett Anderson

(Project Assistant Intern - 2022) USA

Coby DeLeon

(Project Assistant Intern - 2022) USA

Coby DeLeon graduated from Oberlin High School as Valedictorian with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in 2019. She is now a second-year Psychology major focusing on clinical and social psychology at

Melody Rice

(Project Assistant Intern - 2022) USA

Originally from Oakland, California, Melody Rice is in her second year at Oberlin College. She plans on studying Anthropology, with a minor in Art History and a concentration in International Affairs. Her international

Catherine Delight

(Project Assistant Intern - 2021) Kenya

Catherine is reflective, open-minded, pro-active, passionate about her work, diligent, and puts in her time to excel in whatever she does. Catherine served as the Vice-President of Ashesi Project Management Club

Maame Esi Parker

(Project Assistant Intern - 2021) Ghana

Maame Esi is a third-year business administration student at Ashesi University. She has worked as an intern for Accurolab and conducted research to aid in solving the ‘infodemic’ surrounding COVID-19

Eleanor Lebene Gbedawo

(Project Assistant Intern - 2021) Ghana

Eleanor is a senior studying Management Information Systems at Ashesi University.  Eleanor has been a member of the student parliament and a facilitator for the freshman Ashesi Success course. As the child

Moussa Yanni

(Project Assistant Intern - 2021) Niger

Moussa is of Senegalese Nigerian (Niger) origin but did majority of his primary schooling in Cotonou (Benin), and other parts in Nigeria and Burkina Faso. He completed his
Maame Kwaaba Stephens

(Founder)

Maame Kwaaba Stephens graduated Valedictorian from Holy Child High School and continued on to SOS Herman Gmeiner International College both in Ghana, for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. She obtained a BA from Oberlin College and an MBA from Vanderbilt University, both in the USA. She held many impressive leadership roles in school including being a Class Agent and the Vice President for her Senior Class and later served on the Board of Trustees in Oberlin College from 2001 till 2004 and most recently on the Board of SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College.

She is a Director with the Kaysens Group of companies and efficiently managed the company’s Telecom business the last 10 years. Prior to that, she worked as an Associate at General Electric’s (GE) Professional Management Development Program, (PMDP) and Assistant Brand Manager with Procter & Gamble (P&G) at the company’s Global Headquarters in Ohio. She has turned her passion – to travel and organize events – into a profit with Kwaaba Vacations, a destination management company.
Maame Kwaaba Stephens has found numerous ways to give back to society. She supports charitable organizations and numerous causes personally, through family, work, and other organizations, as her own way of showing appreciation to those who have helped her come this far. These include scholarships, community service, a mentoring program, employment opportunities and more.

She co-leads Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives within the Kaysens Group of companies. She is an Association Member for the SOS Children’s Villages in Ghana and has contributed tremendously towards the welfare of underprivileged children. She is a Chapter Lead for P&G Alumni Network Ghana Chapter, where together with her team, engage in philantropic activies. Through Rotary, she has been very instrumental in launching and leading many initiatives and projects. Maame initiated, championed, and led The Rotary Nationwide Blood Donation Campaign – the first ever nationwide and largest blood drive in Ghana.

She was the Brand Ambassador for the National Blood Service, Ghana. Her one year term was extended to 5 additional years due to her diligent work. She was instrumental in helping raise funds for initiatives for the National Blood Service, provided avenues to generate awareness on blood donation, organized mass mobile sessions and established relationships with numerous groups and organizations that have donated blood or supported the cause.

With her own funds and the help of generous sponsors, she has been able to execute a lot of initiatives and believes the establishment of Kwaaba Foundation will enable her do more for society in a more structured and impactful way.

Maame is the Nkosuohemaa (Queen Mother for Development) of Adeiso in the Eastern Region of Ghana. She was conferred the name “Firdaus” by the muslim community in Offei-Yaw, Ghana – an Arabic name which means “The Highest Level of Paradise” for her commitment to the community. She is also an Eisenhower Fellow – Innovative global leaders of remarkable achievements, with positive impact on society with a zeal to do more.

Philip Dzikou

(Operational Support)

Mr. Philip Dzikou, had a distinguished teaching career consequent upon which he spent a substantial amount of his time – over 20 years – abroad in Liberia, Libya and Las Palmas, engaged in operational tasks. Philip plays an operational role in the team and has been instrumental in seeing to many of the logistical tasks. Philip enjoys helping the vulnerable in society.
Eric Hatungimana

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Eric Hatungimana, originally from Burundi, East Africa and a MasterCard Scholar at Ashesi University is pursuing Computer Science and Information Systems.

His deep passion lies in coding and graphic design with his ultimate ambition to become an exceptional Software Developer and a skilled UI/UX Designer. He is driven by courage, determination, and a spirit
of teamwork, believing these qualities will make him a valuable asset in any position.

Judith Yaa Baby Appiah

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Judith Yaa Baby Appiah, is a MasterCard Scholar and Business Administration major at Ashesi University. With a fiery passion for Real Estate and Entrepreneurship, she is determined to revolutionlize these industries through the power of technology and automation.

She believes true success lies in creating something meaningful that leaves a lasting impact on society. With this in mind, she strives to be an agent of change, making a difference one step at a time.

Enoch Blay

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Enoch Blay, is a MasterCard Foundation Scholar studying Business Administration at Ashesi University. He is motivated by his desire to create positive change and aspires to become a Social Entrepreneur and Real Estate Developer.

His ultimate goal is to develop impactful applications that address pressing social issues and bring about transformative change in communities. By combining his knowledge of Business Administration with Real-estate, he aims to create spaces that promote environmental sustainability, inclusivity, and enhanced quality of life.

Steve Nsabima

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Steve Nsabima, a first year MasterCard Scholar at Ashesi University, is majoring in Computer Science and specializing in Software Development
Born and raised in Burundi, his upbringing instilled in him a strong sense of community and resilience, inspiring him to leverage his education and skills to uplift marginalized communities and bridge the gap between technology and underserved populations.
Motivated by the values of the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, he is committed to using his knowledge and expertise to address the pressing challenges of climate change.
Tinotenda Rodney Alfaneti

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Tinotenda Rodney Alfaneti is a second-year student at Ashesi University pursuing a degree in Computer Science. He is passionate about solving the persisting problems in Africa like food insecurity, poverty etc. using modern technologies. Rodney once worked as a backend developer with CharmingBrains startup in developing a school website

Julia Clark

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Julia Clark is a third year at Oberlin College, originally from San Francisco, California. She has a major in Politics, a minor in History, and a concentration in International Affairs. She posesses strong writing, researching, and editing skills, and she is passionate about international development, global policy, and social justice. She someday hopes to
Coby DeLeon

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Coby DeLeon graduated from Oberlin High School as Valedictorian with an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in 2019. She is now a second-year Psychology major focusing on clinical and social psychology at Oberlin College in Ohio. After graduating in 2023, she hopes to pursue a career in helping victims of systemic abuse and other underprivileged people.
Being an intern at the Kwaaba Foundation allows Coby to hone her collaboration and project development skills and let her learn about (and work to aid) problems that exist in other parts of the world. Outside of work, Coby loves to sing, do digital art, and play Dungeons & Dragons with her friends.
Melody Rice

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Originally from Oakland, California, Melody Rice is in her second year at Oberlin College. She plans on studying Anthropology, with a minor in Art History and a concentration in International Affairs. Her international interests led her to begin an internship with the Kwaaba Foundation in the spring of 2021.

Melody has taken part in Summer Abroad programs, High School Rowing, Oberlin Steel and and Community Service. Melody is an effective communicator, team-player and a fast learner. She also loves to write and undertake research.

Catherine Delight

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Catherine is reflective, open-minded, pro-active, passionate about her work, diligent, and puts in her time to excel in whatever she does.
Catherine served as the Vice-President of Ashesi Project Management Club and her ability to work well with people and organize events has generated an interest for project management.
She has experience in the performing arts industry and has worked as the producer for Ashesi University’s First Podcast called The Minds at Ashesi.
Catherine holds a certificate in counseling and psychology from the East African Institute of Professional counselling and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science – BS focused on Management Information Systems at Ashesi University
Maame Esi Parker

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Maame Esi is a third-year business administration student at Ashesi University.
She has worked as an intern for Accurolab and conducted research to aid in solving the ‘infodemic’ surrounding COVID-19, and then as a work-study intern for the NEXTi2i initiative, conducting research on the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Currently, she serves as the social media head of the Ashesi Football Association as well as a welfare committee member of the Ashesi Student Council.
She has a strong passion for helping others and this led her to the Ashesi Leo Club, where she served for about two years, volunteering on different projects to help communities in need.
She is a mentor of the Bowney Initiative in Ashesi and plays a significant role as the Library Lead, mentoring and empowering young underprivileged girls in the Berekuso community to develop essential reading habits.
Eleanor Lebene Gbedawo

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Eleanor is a senior studying Management Information Systems at Ashesi University.
Eleanor has been a member of the student parliament and a facilitator for the freshman Ashesi Success course.
As the child of a diplomat, Eleanor had the opportunity to live in different countries, such as Israel and Nigeria. These experiences have influenced her interest in travel, interacting with new people, and serving her community.
In the future, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in International Relations. Eleanor enjoys reading, watching Korean dramas, and baking.
Moussa Yanni

(Project Assistant - Intern)

Moussa is of Senegalese Nigerian (Niger) origin but did majority of his primary schooling in Cotonou (Benin), and other parts in Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
He completed his high school in Accra in 2017, at the Lycée Français d’Accra Jacques Prévert, graduating with a baccalaureate in economic and social sciences with honors.
From 2017 to 2021, he attended Ashesi University and will soon be getting his BSc. Business Administration.